Coronavirus: What are the new Leicester blocking restrictions?

Leicester has become the first city in the UK to be subjected to a local blockade as the government seeks to stem the increase in coronavirus cases in the city.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock said restrictions on daily life would be tightened for those in and around the city of East Midlands.

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What are the closing rules in Leicester?

• All non-essential stores will close from Tuesday
• Schools will close Thursday and will not reopen until the next quarter. However, they will remain open to vulnerable children and children of critical workers.
• People should avoid all less essential trips to, from and within Leicester and should “stay home as much as they can”
• The planned easing of some restrictions in England on Saturday will not continue in Leicester. This means that restaurants, pubs, cafes, hairdressers and cinemas will remain closed.
• The relaxation of the shielding measures on July 6, which will allow those most vulnerable to the clinic to spend more time outdoors, will not continue in the city.

How long will it last?

The government will review whether it can lift any of the measures within two weeks, the health secretary said.

Where does it apply?

Hancock said the measures will apply not only to the city of Leicester but also to “the surrounding conurbation, including, for example, Oadby, Birstall and Glenfield.”

He said the exact details of which Leicestershire neighborhoods are included in the new closure measures will be published “imminently.”

The Leicestershire County Council said it was working on the details of this with Public Health England.